Of Humanity's Desires
by Shalan the Magnificent
Summary: There is an old saying… given a challenge rise to the occasion. Needless to say, their latest challenge is far beyond what even they imagined, and the occasion is far beyond the truth. IchiRuki


**Title: **Of Humanity's Desires

**Summary: **There is an old saying… given a challenge rise to the occasion. Needless to say, their latest challenge is far beyond what even they imagined, and the occasion is far beyond the truth. IchiRuki

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach… nor do I own Final Fantasy VII… sorry had to put that in there… there's a FFVII reference in this chapter! XDDD

**Shalan's Say: **HEY! I'm at it again… I finished Somewhere, started a new one… and now I'm starting another… Geez… I'm in awe… my intelligence came back all of a sudden… As for updates… "he who waits learns more" so you guys'll just hafta wait won't you?

**Chapter: **His Promise

&

"Ichigo, get down…" She whispered as a guard walked by them. How in the world had he ended up here with Captain Anger Management and guard dude? Oh… the general… that's right. He rung out his pants, shivering under his soaked sweatshirt as the captain chuckled softly under her breath.

"I can hear you, you know…" Ichigo hissed she nodded her head as two more guards walked by. "Tell me how are we supposed to sneak into this place with so many guards?" Ichigo's eye twitched as she leaned forward. HOW had he ended up with her? Of ALL people? And WHY did whoever they were after have to have their base in a wharf where he could easily be pushed into the ocean. "I smell like fish!" He growled.

"'t's a good scent for you…" She fought back her laugh and he grimaced as another shiver trembled his spine. He focused on her fiery red hair and imagined it was warm and welcoming like an actual fire. Damn his luck. Damn his promises.

&

A Month Earlier

"_MOVE!" A hand grabbed his shihakusho violently and swung him against a tree as she swung her sword up one handed. The gigantic creature vanished, returning to where it had come from._

_"S-sorry…" The voice rose from the heap on the ground and she rolled her eyes._

_"Next time pay attention to what you're doing… but for your first time… not half bad…" She smiled from above him and he looked away._

_"Not half bad? But I'm a…"_

_"A Kuchiki? Yeah… but you're also a little kid… you can't expect to be perfect right away…" Her crimson locks were pulled back in a messy bun on the back of her head and her rosy cheeks shone in the early light of morning._

_"You're younger than me but you've already surpassed your master… how is that?" He sat up and brushed his short hair back from his face._

_"I have a reason to fight… everyone has one, otherwise… they lose… right? When you find your reason to fight you'll be better than even me I'll bet…" Her smile sparkled, as her ace began to fade._

_"Then it's a promise! I'll surpass you and even… become perfect! I'll defeat anyone who walks in my path!" _His eyes shot open as the imagery faded from his mind.

"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN KUCHIKI!" He brushed a hand through his long black hair.

"Has it really been… over a hundred years since then?" He muttered, looking at his hand curiously.

"CAPTAIN KUCHIKI!"

"ALRIGHT ABARAI! I HEAR YOU!" He bellowed in the direction of the door. The shoji slid open and he tilted his chin upwards at the intrusion.

"The general wants to see all captains in the meeting room! He says it's urgent!" Renji shot into the room, his eyes were alight with enthusiasm… something Byakuya hadn't seen since their fight nearly ten years ago.

"Is Kurosaki there yet?" He questioned and Renji shook his head. "Good… then I have plenty of time to get ready." He stood up from his bed and opened his closet, pausing to look at his lieutenant. "Abarai…" Renji flash stepped out, leaving a flurry of papers. Byakuya sighed heavily as he looked in the mirror hung in his closet. "So that's where that sounded so familiar…" He pulled his jacket out of the closet carefully.

&

"What do you mean there's a meeting?" Soi Fon sat up in her bed, her hair resembling a mountain formation.

"That's exactly what I said… the Old Man has called a meeting of the captains…" Her third seat, Mai Tetsuya bowed low.

"For what reason Mai?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"He didn't say… but he told us to hurry and get our captains…"

"Is Ichigo there yet?" Soi Fon yawned, stretching as she walked to her bathroom.

"No ma'am."

"Good…" She opened her window and took in a deep breath as cherry blossoms blew around her. She paused, opening her eyes curiously… there was an odd scent on the wind… and a different feel to the air… she caught a cherry blossom curiously. "An omen?" She tilted her head.

"Ma'am?"

"Nothing Mai… tell the General I'll be there soon…" She said distractedly as she heard the Shoji slide shut. "Odd… it hasn't been like this since…" She looked out towards the other barracks through the beautiful trees.

&

Light scattered across the room, spanning the huge area quite easily. The light sparkled in his eyes as he watched his captains file in with their lieutenants. A smiled was painted across his face as he drummed his fingers on his chair. There certainly was a change in the wind.

"Good morning…" He nodded to the group. His eyes scanned them, counting. Second division captain Soi Fon was looking more distracted than usual… he noticed this first… she seemed as though she were waiting for something.

The new division 3 captain, Shusuke Amagai was shifting from foot to foot nervously and exchanging glances with Retsu Unohana. Ichigo Kurosaki, the new fifth division captain, was muttering something under his breath to his lieutenant and the 6th division captain Byakuya Kuchiki who nodded. Captain of the seventh division Shunsui Kyoraku was looking towards his best friend sympathetically as Jushiro Ukitake coughed into his hand from his place at the end of the line.

Captain Komamura was silent and staring straight ahead as usual while the new blonde captain of the ninth division, Hatsumi Mamiya, fiddled with her sash which her lieutenant persistently untied to annoy her. Toshiro Hitsugaya examined the window across from him curiously while Kenpachi Zaraki mumbled to his lieutenant on his shoulder. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was busy scolding his lieutenant for not waking him up early enough, and busy ignoring the dirty looks from Yachiru across the way. All in all they were a very awkward bunch that made the general sigh lightly… then he stopped.

"But where is…" He looked up as the door opened. A hush fell over the crowd of shinigami as the brilliant sunlight fell on the figure in the doorway.

"I knew it…" Soi Fon muttered.

Her long crimson locks were pulled back in a high ponytail on the back of her head, hanging in a spiral to her waist. Her icy cerulean eyes sparkled with amusement as she rested a hand on the hilt of her sword at her waist. Her long white jacket whipped up behind her as the cool summer breeze swept through the area. "Good morning…" She smiled and nodded her head towards the other captains. Her sideswept bangs fell over her left eye as she tilted her neck to the side, rolling her shoulders. "Sorry to keep you…" She walked down the rows, towards the front of the room with the same secret smile on her face.

"Captain Hasegawa…" Byakuya bowed his head as she paused in front of him, her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her.

"Byakuya Kuchiki…" She tilted her chin up and continued walking.

"I was wondering if you were going to grace us with your presence Captain…" General Yamamoto nodded to her and she smiled softly, then swung into position at his left side, next to Shusuke Amagai. The brown haired man nudged her lightly and she let a playful grin spill across her face.

"Hey, Byakuya… I've never seen her before…" Ichigo whispered and Momo giggled.

"That, Kurosaki, is the Captain of the Zero Division… Kazumi Hasegawa." Byakuya leaned over to reply.

"The Zero Division?" Ichigo muttered under his breath. The source of the feeling that had been in the air all morning had now been discovered… The captain of the Zero Division had returned.

&

Present Day

"This is getting ridiculous…" Ichigo hissed against her back and she fought back another laugh.

"Wait until the opportune moment padawan…" she nearly laughed again and he got the feeling that a mad case of the chuckles was about to hit them both. It was 4 AM, two days straight of nothing but moving from wall to wall inside a damp wharf and he felt his nerves beginning to wear. He stared at her red ponytail as it curled against her exposed waist, when she squatted her shirt and zip-up hoodie would tug upwards while her hip huggers tugged downwards, exposing her lower back to the damp air. Her All Stars squeaked lightly against the damp wood as she adjusted her position.

"Don't call me that…" He grumbled.

"You complain like a freak…" She tossed over her shoulder. He was mildly surprised that her knowledge of modern terminology was so vast, she spoke as though she was a teenager from Japan rather than a 200 year old shinigami from the Soul Society.

"Yeah well…" He grumbled something else under his breath and he heard her growl.

"Stop complaining you wimp…" She rolled her eyes. He reached behind him and adjusted the heavy blade on his shoulder, sliding Zangetsu down to rest on the ground. "Only a few more minutes…" She consoled him and he sighed again, heaving the sword back into its place.

Ichigo felt something touch his shoulder and he blinked, looking up into the glowing eyes of the arrancar that stood over him. "Ka-Ka-Kazumi…" He shuddered, groping for her back. She rolled her eyes.

"What Ichig-oh…" she grimaced as she looked at the arrancar. "Looks like it's time to fight huh?" She grinned and rached up to grab her zanpakuto.

"Finally…" He let a smile cross his lips as Zangetsu's white covering unraveled.

&

So uhm… leave me a message… Tell me what you think it's my first attempt at an in universe story… Rukia in the next chapter no worries!

Shalan


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